• Job Description

  Req#: C9371-25-0509?language=en&page=684&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  Are you an experienced Healthcare Assistant looking to progress your mental health career pathway?

  Our Acute Wards at Prospect Park Hospital can offer you a great environment that will enable you to develop your skills & confidence.

  Our flexible working patterns of short days (7.5hrs), long days (12hrs) & nights (10.75hrs) give colleagues options that support an improved work life balance.

  We are currently recruiting for the following wards:

  • Place of Safety (POS): Our pre-admission and assessment unit
  • Daisy: Male-only acute mental health ward
  • Rose: Mixed-gender acute ward
  • Sorrel: Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
  • Rowan: specialise in the care of older adults
  • Orchid: specialise in the care of older adults

  Prospect Park Hospital is based in Reading, located close to the amenities of the town centre and a leafy park. The ward works closely with patients, families and wider organisations to help them to identify their needs and participate actively in their care, providing a place of empathy, kindness and compassion. We have created a culture where everyone has a voice and where service users and staff collaborate to make positive change.

  With your clinical experience we are looking for someone that has a passion for caring, great communication skills and the resilience to help transform our patient's lives. You will be working alongside a wide range of multi-disciplinary professionals, all striving to achieve positive outcomes for services users.

  Main duties of the job

  • Assist in the provision of care of patients.
  • To work in support of the qualified nurses and be directed and supervised by them to undertake assigned tasks.
  • Develop and maintain a good working relationship with patients through regular contact and ensure their safety and well-being.
  • To offer support and mentoring to more junior nursing assistants.
  • Ensure the confidentially of patients and clinical documents at all times.
  • Report any complaints, untoward events or incidents to qualified nursing staff, and where appropriate under their supervision, complete the appropriate records.
  • To respect the dignity, privacy and independence of patients at all times.
  • To be aware of limitation/competences.
  • Be involved in discussion on the development of patient centred programmes
  • Be aware of patients on Mental Health Act restrictions and record/report accordingly to qualified staff.
  • Promote the work of the ward, the hospital and the Trust at all times.
  • To respond to emergency calls under the guidance of qualified staff. This will include Personal alarms, Fire and Cardiac arrest (appropriate training to be undertaken).

  About us

  Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

  Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

  • Caring for and about you is our top priority
  • Committed to providing good quality, safe services
  • Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

  Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

  • Flexible working options to support work-life balance
  • 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
  • Generous NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent learning and career development opportunities
  • 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
  • Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
  • Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
  • Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
  • Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
  • Free parking across Trust site

  Details

  Date posted

  19 June 2025

  Pay scheme

  Agenda for change

  Band

  Band 3

  Salary

  £24,625 to £25,674 a year per annum

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Full-time

  Reference number

  371-TAP-MHS784

  Job locations

  Prospect Park Hospital

  Honey End Lane

  Reading

  RG30 4EJ

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  The must haves for you to be considered for this role:

  • Good general education including English and Maths at GCSE Grade C or above
  • Previous experience working as a Band 2 Support Worker in a mental health acute care setting
  • Good oral and written communication
  • Ability to work under pressure

  For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

  We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

  We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

  We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call Lincoln Cordner on 01189605249 or email: Lincoln.Cordner@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.

  Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  The must haves for you to be considered for this role:

  • Good general education including English and Maths at GCSE Grade C or above
  • Previous experience working as a Band 2 Support Worker in a mental health acute care setting
  • Good oral and written communication
  • Ability to work under pressure

  For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

  We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

  We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

  We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call Lincoln Cordner on 01189605249 or email: Lincoln.Cordner@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.

  Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

  Person Specification

  Education/Qualifications/Training

  Essential

  • Good general education qualifications
  • IT Literate
  • English and Maths at GCSE grade C or equivalent

  Continuous Professional Development

  Essential

  • Desire to undertake further training and self-improvement to support patient experience

  Previous Experience

  Essential

  • Previous experience working as a Band 2 Support Worker in a mental health acute care setting

  Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  Essential

  • Good oral and written communication

  Desirable

  • Seeks opportunities to develop within the role

  Additional Requirements

  Desirable

  • Ability to travel to multiple sites

  Person Specification

  Education/Qualifications/Training

  Essential

  • Good general education qualifications
  • IT Literate
  • English and Maths at GCSE grade C or equivalent

  Continuous Professional Development

  Essential

  • Desire to undertake further training and self-improvement to support patient experience

  Previous Experience

  Essential

  • Previous experience working as a Band 2 Support Worker in a mental health acute care setting

  Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  Essential

  • Good oral and written communication

  Desirable

  • Seeks opportunities to develop within the role

  Additional Requirements

  Desirable

  • Ability to travel to multiple sites

  Disclosure and Barring Service Check

  This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

  Address

  Prospect Park Hospital

  Honey End Lane

  Reading

  RG30 4EJ

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

  Address

  Prospect Park Hospital

  Honey End Lane

  Reading

  RG30 4EJ

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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